Volunteers stand next to a Globe Santa donation box before a recent performance of “Elf the Musical” at the Wang Theatre in Boston.

By Tom Coakley
Globe Santa Staff
December 08, 2017

A mother whose life was torn apart by a tragic accident, another raising two children and facing the high cost of day care, and a third whose family has encountered immigration problems. Globe Santa will help them all by making sure their children have presents under the tree this Christmas.

Here are their stories.

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“I am a single parent trying to make it with a newborn in a completely different state from where I lived,” said the woman from a community north of Boston.

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“My entire life changed in the blink of an eye, and instead of making arrangements for a baby shower, as would have been expected, I was left to make funeral arrangements.

“Keeping my head above water in New York City became financially impossible without my significant other and I was forced to leave my job and apartment in New York City where we resided and move in with my mother in Massachusetts.

“While it hasn’t been easy, I am currently working on getting back on track and overcoming my depression.

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“I would gratefully appreciate any contribution you guys could make to ensure my son’s first Christmas is a memorable one.”

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“Part of the struggle is not letting my kids know how bad I’m doing,” said the Boston mother of two in her letter to Globe Santa. She said she has been unemployed for more than a year, since her son was 6 months old.

“I had to leave my job of 16 years to care for him because day care was too expensive. I am now actively seeking employment and it’s still difficult.

“Last year’s Globe Santa program relieved part of the stress and my kids were happy.

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“Yet despite the struggles of parenting and/or providing, I am sure better days are coming for those parents like myself that are experiencing different hardships. Thank you again for helping me and many other parents.”

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The mother of five said she works 32 hours a week, but money is tight. Things got worse this past year because of an immigration problem, she said.

“I live paycheck to paycheck, but I am grateful that my children have a stable home,” she said.

“The year has been tough on my family. My husband had to leave the country because of immigration status,” she said.

“I would like my children to have a beautiful Christmas,” she said. But she can’t buy them any gifts “because of financial hardship.” Still, she said, “I’m thankful because we have shelter and food.”

She asks for help giving her children the “best” Christmas. “Anything you could do would be really appreciated,” she concluded.

Since 1956, Globe Santa has raised more than $47 million and provided Christmas presents to 2.9 million children from more than a million families in Eastern Massachusetts.

Last year alone, about $1 million from gracious donors brought Christmas joy to 35,000 youngsters 12 and under.

Another way to give

Another way to give to Globe Santa is through AmazonSmile.

The Boston Globe Foundation has partnered with Amazon to allow online shoppers to have .05 percent of the purchase price of eligible products donated by the AmazonSmile Foundation to the Globe Foundation, which sponsors Globe Santa.